Govt pledges extra £35m to help social housing tenants

A DWP spokesman has said: "We are pleased with today's result. The government has always felt it has met its equality duties fully and it is pleased the court has agreed with us."

The government has said it will make its current guidance, that severely disabled children do not need to share a room with other siblings, law by Autumn.

The government has also announced an extra £35 million to help councils support social housing tenants entitled to the hardship fund, known as discretionary housing payments. This will be broken down as:

£10 million will be given to councils throughout Britain to use as they wish, with the assumption it will go into the discretionary housing payments fund.

£5 million will go to the 21 most rural areas to help people find adequate housing.

£20 million in additional funding will be given to councils if they demonstrate there is a further need.